STEP 1 -  you need to sign up for an account, and make it LIVE (we are not going to cover this - this is something you need to do with Stripe.com).

The end result of this process is:
1. We need you to have a Stripe.com account.
2. We need this account to be on LIVE mode (not TEST).
3. We need you to submit your LIVE Published Key and LIVE Secret Key in the Support Tracker.  They look like this:
Secret Key: sk_live_mzBxRay4FL0gKCkhT4NlLeCp
Published Key: pk_live_uNTdXNe0HlBMopFhdnkIOZDC

STEP 2 - we install these for you and let you know that your site is ready for a LIVE transaction.

STEP 3 - you need to go to your site, create a $1 item in the store, and then purchase it with a real credit card.  Once with VISA.  Once with Mastercard.  And once with AMEX.  And yes, by the end of this process you will be out 3 bucks!

STEP 4 - now, all that's left is to see if it worked - there are four things to check in order to verify that your Stripe.com setup is working properly:  

1. In the mange store page, make sure there is an order for each of these transactions.

2. View each order info and make sure there is an approval ID for the transaction (usually looks like this: 'ch_2345nbkj345' whereas ch stands for 'charge'.

3. The transaction should appear on the dashboard in your Stripe.com account (you may also receive a confirmation email from Stripe if you have set this feature up).

4. Finally, a few days later follow the money trail.  Check with your bank to make sure the money has appeared in the proper account (this will take a few days to process, but it is by far the most important step).

It is important to quickly mention the pros and cons of Stripe:

Pros:

1. No fixed costs.  No activity means no fees.  For low activity accounts, this may mean significantly lower costs.

2. No need for PCI Compliance Scanning.  Easier maintenance as well as potential cost savings.

3. Easier merchant account setup process.  Less red tape.

4. Potentially better international support (more terriroties as the Stripe network expands). Please see the following link for a list of countries that Stripe currently supports, or has in beta: https://support.stripe.com/questions/what-countries-does-stripe-support

5. New features planned for development on Stripe platform only (responsive system).  

Cons:

1. Currently, does not support rebilling.

2. Credit Bypass Code feature (Manual Payments) is supported only on our responsive system. 

Note: We have been informed that, as of early 2016, Stripe will be offering discounted rates for non-profits. We do not know what the exact rates or qualifications will be, but it something we suggest you inquire about with Stripe.